Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks here on Sunday with his Turkmen and Uzbek counterparts in efforts to enhance ties and mutually beneficial cooperation with the two countries.
During his talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Hu praised the cooperation between the two countries and outlined four areas to further their friendly links.
Hu called for an early establishment of the mechanism of Sino-Turkmen cooperation committee so as to better guide and coordinate practical
cooperation between the two countries.
The Chinese president, who is in Turkmen capital Ashgabat for a working visit, also urged efforts to step up their energy cooperation.
Hu said the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline was a cooperative project that benefited the two countries and the whole region.
China is ready to work with Turkmenistan to secure smooth operation of the gas pipeline, and further advance bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector in line with the principle of equal consultation and mutual benefit, Hu said.
During his visit, Hu is scheduled to take part in a ceremony marking the completion of one of the two pipelines that make up the gas shipment project on Monday together with leaders of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The 1,833-km pipeline starts from the border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching
northwest China's Xinjiang region.
Hu said China would make efforts to expand cooperation with Turkmenistan in sectors such as transport, telecommunications, building materials and infrastructure development. He proposed that the two countries should study and draft a plan of middle- and long-term cooperation in
non-energy fields.
The two countries should also earnestly implement the credit projects they agreed upon by accelerating the inauguration of relevant projects, he said.
Noting that terrorism, separatism and extremism in Central Asia have posed a serious threat to regional stability, Hu said China was ready to work with Turkmenistan to crack down on such forces.
Hu also emphasized cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, pledging more scholarships for Turkmen students to study in China.
Berdymukhamedov fully agreed with Hu's proposals for developing bilateral ties, saying Hu's visit was of special significance.
The long-term strategic partnership between the two countries is based on a high degree of mutual trust, mutual respect and friendship. Despite the changes in international situation, the Turkmen government and people will always firmly push forward cooperation with China, he said.
In the meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Hu said China had always attached great importance to developing its ties with Uzbekistan, seen as one of China's important partners in Central Asia.
China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to further high-level exchanges, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and ensure the sound and stable
development of the friendly cooperative partnership, Hu said.
On the China-Central Asia gas pipeline, Hu said the Chinese side was ready to work together with Uzbekistan to ensure a safe and smooth operation of the pipeline.
In terms of security, Hu said the Central-Asian region was confronted with grave security challenges. It is a common responsibility of all countries concerned, including China and Uzbekistan, to combat the "three forces" that engage in terrorism, separatism and extremism, he said.
Hu praised Uzbekistan's role as the rotating chair state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), saying it had actively coordinated the body's development and made a series of significant proposals.
Islam Karimov, on his part, said the development of bilateral relations was not only conducive to the two countries, but also of great significance to maintaining peace and stability in the Central Asian region.
He said China was one of the most reliable and trustworthy friends of Uzbekistan, adding that Uzbekistan would adhere to the one-China policy and firmly support China's strike against the "three evil forces", "Taiwan independence" and "Tibet independence."